


Open Your Eyes

by Ava_Writes_Alot



Series: Open Your Eyes, Wear No Disguise [2]
Category: Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Seisen no Keifu | Fire Emblem: Genealogy of the Holy War
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Arthur is a good friend, Because whats canon, Ced makes a brief cameo but not really tag worthy, Fix-It of Sorts, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Julius gets revived by Valkyrie staff AU, Julius is just hopelessly oblivious, Kind of slow burn but it’s more implied so I guess not, Lewyn!Arthur, M/M, Might make another version of this but with Arthur POV, Post-Canon, This was made cause of a reply that said “angst fluff slowburn Julius/Arthur”, Tinni and Julia help the two out, he needs hugs, no beta we die like sigurd
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-17
Updated: 2020-08-17
Packaged: 2021-03-06 03:35:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,273
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25962946
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Ava_Writes_Alot/pseuds/Ava_Writes_Alot
Summary: “Am I…alive again?” He asked with a low and tired voice. He looked at himself to make sure Loptyr was not possessing him. Before he looked up at Julia and said, “Julia, I…”
Relationships: Asaa | Arthur/Yurius | Julius
Series: Open Your Eyes, Wear No Disguise [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1884400
Kudos: 10





	Open Your Eyes

**Author's Note:**

> Hello! Here’s a fic that I’ve been working on for about a month now. I have a lot of ideas for this rarepair so aaaa. Anyway enjoy the fic

_“Open your eyes, I see. Your eyes are open.”_

* * *

Julius was lying down in peaceful darkness. Where he could stay within the corridors of the dark void, he was not in the afterlife as he was still possessed, unable to control himself. Despite having no control, he grew used to it; it was peaceful, warm, and calming. 

While he _could_ see everything that was going on from the perspective of Loptyr, he did not _want_ to look. He wished to fall into an eternal sleep, where nothing and no one could bother him. So he closed his eyes just to see eternal darkness.

Although, he heard the voices of Seliph and Julia, both fighting to defeat the dark god. It made him feel at ease. 

‘Naga..you brought ruin to me…yet again,’ The treacherous voice of Loptyr cried out. Julius felt this feeling of freedom appear within him. 

‘My lord brother, at long last Loptyr, has been defeated,’ he heard Julia cheer. ‘Now, you and I will be safe.’ 

Julius smiled and opened his eyes; to see a glimpse of his sister's face once more, he was happy. He felt the feeling of sleep go through him and took it in welcomely. Tired of the past and wanting to whisk the future away. He closed his tired eyes as he felt the endless darkness envelop him once again. 

He slept for a long while; it felt so fast; time was fast-forwarding to him; he felt at peace. When he finally opened his eyes, all he saw was light. He was confused about what was going on. He squinted his eyes at the light before he felt himself losing consciousness again.

  
  


* * *

_Can I still start anew?_

Julius regained consciousness, but everything was still dark to him. He felt trapped, yet he wasn’t sure why. But he started hearing things, voices. 

“Do you think it worked?” A voice of a young man asked. 

“I am sure it did, but he has yet to wake up.” Said another. 

What was happening? Why could he hear people? Julius was confused. He felt trapped again; he needed to see what was going on. Yet all he could do was hear, as his eyes refused to open. 

Wait.

He realized he could feel his body again, which made him more bewildered. How was that even possible? He could feel everything happening within him. And it felt horrible, the position that his being must’ve been in upon his death. 

It was then that he heard the voice of a young woman. She sounded soft and worrisome. That voice sounded so familiar until he recognized it all too well. 

“Brother! Wake up, please! I need to know if it worked!” The voice said. That was when he opened his eyes. He wished to see her again; he _needed_ to see her again. When his vision finally returned, he let out a raspy breath and coughed. He wasn’t able to breathe; his oxygen was low. He kept taking breaths before he looked up and saw his sister, Julia.

It seemed that he had been resurrected from what has to be the Valkyrie staff. _‘But why?’_ he thought. _Why should I be the one to be restored? It’s not right._ He shook his head. 

“Am I…alive again?” He asked with a low and tired voice. He looked at himself to make sure Loptyr did not possess him. Before he looked up at Julia and said, “Julia, I…”

He was cut off from his own words by his sister, hugging him. He felt her tears on his shoulder. “Welcome back, my brother!” She cheered as she looked back into his eyes. “After all these years. I finally get to see you again.” She smiled widely at him. 

“Ah! Dear sister…I missed you so much..” He replied, tears welling up as he smiled back at her. Oh, how he longed to see her again, as himself.

He looks up to see a familiar figure. The one who fought off The Dark God and made sure it would never return. It was Seliph, the Scion of Light. Julius was not sure what to say to him, as he feels ashamed and regretful of his actions despite them not being under his control. 

Julia seemed to have already introduced him, “Ah! Julius, this is our dear half brother Seliph. I am sure you two know each other already, but. I felt like you guys needed a proper introduction, with the real you finally here and alive.” She giggled. _‘Her voice is as soft and sweet as always,’_ he thought. 

“I… don’t know what to say,” Julius said to Seliph, “I guess… Thank you for defeating Loptyr? Or maybe thank you for bringing me back? I simply do not know.”

Seliph nodded, “I understand. You did kind of just came back from the dead after all. And I know that most of what you did to me was Loptyr’s doing, so please, take all the time you need.” 

All he could do was nod and smile. He wasn’t much of a talker anyway. Was Seliph always this understanding? He thought to himself. I’m glad I have a brother like that. He sighed happily; at least some people were supportive of him. 

After some moments, he tried his best to stand up; his legs shook as he did so. Before he ended up falling to his knees, “A little help here?” He asked his sister. She nodded, “Hehe, of course!” and grabbed his hand so he could stand up. 

As he stood up, he saw two others. One of them held a broken staff, ‘ _That has to be the Valkirye Staff.’_ He thought. Then he glanced at the other person, who was talking to the former. They both caught a glance of Julius, the one with the staff showed relief, and the other awkwardly smiled. 

All he could do was wave at the two as he held on to Julia’s hand. He wanted to walk over to them but was worried he might fall over again. So he stayed where he was.

Time had passed before he realized it was nightfall. Had it been night already? He couldn’t even tell the time of day it was when he first came back. 

“Julius, I think you need some rest,” Julia advised as she touched his cheek. “You’re getting pale.” 

Julius looked over at Julia; now that he thought about it, he was feeling lightheaded and dizzy after standing up, “Yes, I think that is the best option right now.”

“Let me help you get to Belhalla. We have a few rooms to spare.” She said with urgency.

“Please. Take me.” He responded, in between breaths, he was about to pass out at any moment. He was desperate to get some rest. 

Then Julia transported him to Belhalla. He dropped to the soft fluffy bed once she let go of him. He felt happiness and tranquility, and before he could even tell his sister goodnight, he fell right to sleep. 

* * *

He awoke to the bright heat of the summer sun. He opened his eyes and looked around the room. So he was indeed alive. Seeing the nearby mirror, he looked at himself; and he looked the same. His hair was in tangles, and his clothes were ripped and torn. Gods, he needed to clean up. A shower and a fresh change of clothes would do the trick.

As he went into the bathroom, he felt his head going numb. He was still not used to being awakened from the dead, and if he was honest, he didn’t necessarily like being alive. Ishtar wasn’t there with him, so he asked himself. What’s the point in being alive when nobody here will support except what is left of my family. 

He sighed and stepped into the shower, feeling the warm water on himself. He felt at ease almost instantly. It made him forget his worries and focused his mind on other things. Closing his eyes, he washed his hair, and he breathed in the steam that was gathering. 

As he was cleaning himself, a thought came into his head. He still had the mark of Loptyr. That made all of his anxieties build up again as he felt the mark on his forehead. _Fuck._ He told himself. 

Leaving the shower, he dried himself off, wiped off the foggy mirror, and looked at his face. He saw that mark on his forehead. He always had it and always preferred to cover it with his hair. 

Looking around, he saw a pair of scissors. He took them and decided to cut his hair short, not too short, but just enough to make his hair not look so messy. It was now at a good shoulder length. If he cut it even shorter, he’d end up looking like his elder brother Saias. 

He grabbed the strands of hair and threw them away before getting dressed and opening the bathroom door. Steam releasing into the guest room, he piled up his dirty clothes and put them down the laundry chute.

Sighing, he grabbed the handle and opened the door. He saw a somewhat familiar face in the doorway. It was one of the men he saw yesterday. “Hello!” He said. “I believe we may not have properly met before.” The man said. 

Why would someone be willing to talk to him despite his actions? Did they know that Loptyr possessed him, that he had a lack of control? Or are they just feeling bad? Especially, someone who looked to be part of the Friege family; they knew exactly what he did to the children. 

“N-no, I believe we have not,” He was stuttering, nervous about who this man was, but he may as well introduce himself. “I’m Julius,” He said, bowing a little, “Pleasure to make your acquaintance. Who might you be?” 

“Ah, I am Arthur, the king of Silesse, ruling in my father’s name. It’s a pleasure to meet you as well, Julius.” Arthur replied. 

_Silesse? That’s a new one. I could’ve sworn from that lilac hair that he’d be a noble of Friege. Perhaps he does have Thrud blood in him, but I don’t wish to take any chances._ “And you too, Arthur.” He said before Julia ran up to him. 

“Pardon me- ah, brother! You cut your hair.” She exclaimed, looking at the dark crimson strands. “Hehe, you look like our elder brother Saias with that look.” 

“Yeah, I did. I needed to look different so others wouldn’t recognize me,” Julius explained, “But someone figured out who I was.” Looking at Arthur, he chuckled lightly.

“All we need now is some high priest clothes, and you’ll look exactly like Saias,” She giggled, “I’m just kidding. But I am surprised you cut your hair; it was so wavy when it was long.” 

“I honestly enjoy it being cut short,” He replied, “Perhaps people will see me as some sort of priest. I’d like that.” If he was honest, he always wished to be a priest.

Julia said nothing, only smiled, then turned to Arthur, “I see you finally got the courage to talk to my brother!” She said as if she knew Arthur wanted to talk to him.

“Yes, from what you told me awhile ago, he seems like a kind person,” He replied as he turned back to Julius. “Which reminds me, Julius, do you think perhaps tonight we could talk more? If you have the time, that is.”

Julius felt his heart drop at hearing this; anxiety had filled him up to the brim. Insecure about going out into the world after his ‘defeat.’ He took a deep breath, calmed his nerves a little, then nodded, “Yes, I would enjoy that. Perhaps we could become closer.” He gave a nervous smile; it looked like Arthur was happy.

* * *

The day went by like normal, with his sister ruling Velthomer and Seliph ruling Belhalla. It was almost like he was a citizen; he never felt like this before. He was taught all his life to be a good emperor.

What did he do that day? Nothing, nothing at all. He was too excited for the evening that he didn’t focus on anything other than how he looked. He even made sure to cover up his Lopto mark with his bangs. 

Why was he so prepared for just someone wanting to hang out? He just told himself, ‘I am just anxious, that’s all.’ But his anxiety tended to get the best of him, and it made his emotions go wild. 

“Curse my lineage. Curse my dark blood,” Julius told himself, “Why are people so sensitive? I am _not_ a worshiper of Loptyr.” Slamming his fist on the desk, he looked in the mirror. All he could see was a horrible person in front of him.

Covering his face with his hands, he started crying. He just wanted to make Arthur happy; he didn’t want him to fear the former vessel of Loptyr. The only person he had with him at that time was Ishtar, but now she’s dead, so he had nothing but guilt within him. How could he have been so cruel? 

He heard someone knock on the door, _‘Oh gods, please don’t let it be Arthur, I’m not ready yet!’_ he told himself as he tried to calm himself down by breathing in and out. Before he heard a voice, “Julius? Are you in there?” 

‘Oh, thank Naga.’ He thought. It was only Julia, from what he heard, perhaps she heard him crying. So he opened the door and saw his one and only sister in front of him.“Do you need anything?” He asked oh so casually. 

Julia made a face of disappointment. “Julius, let me get to the point at hand. You’re anxious, aren’t you? The blood of Loptyr flows within you. So it was only a matter of time before it got to your head.”

Wow, that was fast, he thought. But he couldn’t make any more excuses, so he just nodded and said. “Yes I… That’s exactly it.” 

She shook her head, “Please don’t think that. I’ve talked to Arthur and told him that you were a kind and caring individual. I convinced him that you are truly a good person inside.” She put her delicate hand on his chest.

_‘I hope she’s right about this,’_ he thought. “Well, I-I hope so,” 

“Hm, don’t worry,” She said before she slightly pushed Julius out of the bedroom door, “Now go! Arthur might be waiting for you outside!” 

“Wait! I’m not read-“ He was cut off by his sister, pressing her finger against his lips.

“No, no, you look fine, please do not worry, brother!” She ensured him. 

All he could do was smile and wave as he left the room quickly as he could. He rushed down the stairs before he saw Arthur waiting for him, “Ah, I...I hope I didn’t take too long,” Julius stuttered, “I was kind of distracted.” 

“No need to worry, just got here, heh,” Arthur replied, “Now, let us go! I want to show you a place you might like.” He extended his hand, and Julius took it, then they both went outside.

* * *

It was late afternoon; the summer sun shone down a golden yellow. The two walked through Belhalla city as Arthur kept asking Julius basic questions such as ‘How are you holding up?’ Or ‘Are you faring alright?’ 

If he were honest, he was anxious and paranoid. He had a hard time going out for the first time in a while. 

“I think we’re here now,” Arthur said as he pointed at a building that seemed to be a shop.

“What is this place?” He asked like he didn’t know what he was looking at. 

“You’ll see.” Arthur simply stated as he opened the door. 

As Arthur opened the door to the tea shop, Julius felt amazed, happy, content. He loved how bright and roomy the place was. 

“I must admit it’s been some time since I’ve been out somewhere,” Julius said before Arthur took both of his hands. 

“Me neither… It's been some time; actually, I just thought this would be a good place to start, you know?” Arthur looked to be anxious as well, so maybe he wasn’t the only one feeling so nervous. 

Julius nodded, “Yes I… I guess so.” He agreed and showed a slight smile. 

“Anyway, what kind of tea do you like?” Arthur asked. 

_Tea? Nobody’s ever asked me about my favorite before._ He immediately thought. But then he simply replied, “Lily of the Valley.” 

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of that flower. Where does it grow?” Arthur asked. 

“It grows all the way in Verdane. I am not sure if they have that kind of tea here, though.” He said. 

“I see well, perhaps I- could try it I-” Arthur stopped nervously, and Julius wasn’t sure why.

“Of course.” He smiled slightly. 

There was a table with two chairs that Arthur found. “Would you like to sit down for a bit?” He asked with a hopeful tone. 

“Ah! Yes, I would love that!” He replied he needed to sit down and relax to get away from all the stress that had been building up just hours ago. 

Arthur then pulled Julius a seat and said, “I’m going to order both of us some tea.”

Julius only nodded and looked down at the table out of nervousness. He started tapping his index finger on the table apprehensively. _‘This feels different, and I do not know why,’_ Julius thought. Lord, his uneasiness was coming back to him again, but Arthur sat down again before he could stress out again, and he gave him a teacup. 

“Ah! Arthur, that was quick.” He slightly stuttered. 

“Yeah, heh, I guess it was. Also, they had the tea you told me about! I'm excited to try it." Arthur said as he put his teacup on the table.

"Oh! I hope you like it!" He said with a smile.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you something,” Arthur said. 

“Oh? What is it?” He asked curiously. 

“How do you feel about, you know- being revived and all? I’ve been wondering as to what it feels like being revived from the dead.” He showed a little bit of innocence and curiosity in his eyes, as a child would have.

“Oh, I- it feels weird if I’m honest like, given the position I was in when I died, it's very uncomfortable.” He replied before he had the urge to say, “Why do you ask?”

“My friend is the wielder of the valkyrie staff, his name is Ced, and I went to accompany him when you were revived and stuff.” 

This information gave Julius more questions, “What's he like? I remember seeing him, and I'm pretty sure his staff was broken, so it had to have been him,” 

“I admit he was pretty nervous as he had never actually used it before; heck, it never was used for a long time even when Father Claud was alive!” He replied, “But I helped him out and decided to be with him when it all happened.”

“Well, that was sweet of you. It seems like you’re a nice person around your friends.” Julius replied cheerfully. 

“Actually, I kind of used to be a different person when the war was still going on. It was only recently I’ve had a change of heart,” He said,

Julius nodded, “I understand. You were probably outraged and just full of emotions.” 

“Yeah, my sister was taken away from me when I was just a boy. On top of the fact my father never returned to save my mother, it was a lot to withstand.” Arthur paused for a moment and took a sip of his tea, “But when the war ended, I talked with my father, he told me he was the one who taught me wind magic, and he wanted me to become a fitting king for Silesse.”

Julius just hummed a bit; he wasn't sure what to say. Arthur was so interesting that he felt terrible to think that his childhood was without parents or siblings.

“I-I kind of got emotional there,” Arthur said suddenly, the tone in his voice was full of nervousness and embarrassment, “I just- don’t like to remember it, it was so long ago back when I was so unhappy. I’m just so glad my sister is safe and well that Hilda and Blume are dead.” 

“Yeah, I just feel bad for you; you lived a lot of your life without your parents. You didn’t even know that your father helped teach you magic to wield your holy weapon, it’s-” He was starting to trail off. 

“Please don’t worry, Julius,” He gestured his hand as if he were shooing Julius away, “I just never told people about it other than some of my friends, but I guess I just told you so quickly I-”

Julius cut him off and assured him, “You’re such an interesting person, you know that?” 

“Ah- well, yes, I guess I am.” Arthur was now covering his face with his hands.

“Hehe, why don’t we go?” Julius asked, changing the subject. “I want to keep exploring the city with you before night falls.” 

Arthur’s eyes widened before he looked down at his half-full cup of tea, then faced Julius again, "So soon? I haven't even finished my tea!" 

Julius looked down at the table in embarrassment, "O-oh, sorry about that, this tea is my favorite, so I usually gulp it down." 

"No, it's okay. I'm really enjoying it," Arthur ensured. 

"I'm glad you do! Just tell me when you are done!"

"I will, Julius," He said. Then he quickly finished his tea and stood, “Okay, Julius, we can go now." 

And so they did, and before they knew it, time went by.

* * *

The evening came, and the two wrapped up their time together to go back to their respective places. Julius enjoyed the time he had with Arthur and asked if they could hang out more often. 

“Of course! This day was amazing, Julius! You are an amazing person!” He looked so excited, he was almost jumping with excitement, “I can’t wait to talk to you again! Do you think we could write letters to each other?” 

“Yes, that would be lovely! I think it would even help us be closer.” Julius replied. A wave of happiness washed over him. He almost forgot about his breakdown that afternoon. 

Arthur looked to be shaking with excitement. “Then I guess I’ll see you around!” He said before Julius then teleported to Silesse with Arthur and dropped him off.

Julius now knew that he and Arthur would be friends forever.

* * *

A couple of months had passed since that day, and the two have been writing letters since. Within these months, the two have updated each other about their lives and their countries. Julius was feeling better about himself and was now helping out Julia and Seliph with Grannvale. Meanwhile, Arthur kept Silesse as a neutral, peaceful country like his father once wished it to be. 

One night Arthur had asked Julius if they could meet up again since all the countries were starting to fall back into place again. And so Julius agreed, and they planned out when they would meet up. 

But the thing was, they were going to go to Friege, and that made him panic. He was sure that they despised him. 

“So, Julius, I- do you feel okay about this?” He asked. He must have known about it, ‘ _Of course, he did_.’

All Julius did was nod nervously; he must have been noticeably shaking. He could practically feel that bad things would happen once he stepped into the city. 

“I wanted you to uh- meet my sister. So that’s why I brought you to Friege.” Arthur admitted, holding onto Julius’s hands. 

“I-I see. I would l-like to meet your sister.” He agreed nervously. Oh, boy, was he terrified. His stomach was in knots.

“Just stand by me, Julius,” Arthur said, hoping to ensure him, “I’m sure nobody will recognize you. You are a changed man.” He smiled at him as he took his hand. The warmth he felt made him happy. Arthur’s presence made him content.

As he walked through the town, people recognized him almost instantly. Many of the citizens gave glares, and their children would cower in fear. They would _never_ forgive him for all the children he sacrificed.

“Oh, Arthur I…” But Arthur was not with him; he didn’t know where he went, which made his heart ache. 

Anxiety crawled through him like spiders. People were judging him, they knew what he did, and they despised him. He squinted his eyes shut, just wanting to leave and go back. 

“Arthur…Arthur…” He whispered, trying his best not to cry, “Where are you right now…” He felt tears welling up in his eyes, but he did his best to hold them in as long as possible. 

“Julius? Oh, gods Julius…” He heard him say, “I’m right here, just hold on.” 

Julius fell to his knees, feeling the rough pavement on his fingers as he collapsed. The pain in his head was growing sharp and overwhelming by the second, “I…I can’t take it…” He sobbed, “They all hate me…” 

Arthur quickly knelt and grabbed his hand, then very bluntly said, “Yes. They do. However, there are people like me who give you a second chance.” 

Arthur was right. _Why was Arthur always right?_ Some people will give him a second chance. He took some deep breaths, feeling shaky in his breath, and he stood. “Yes, I…” He made himself stutter. 

“We can talk about this later if you’d like.” Arthur simply replied as he stood up again. He made a quick look around to make sure no one was giving them strange looks, then looked back at Julius again. 

Julius nodded, “Yes, I would appreciate that. We can talk about it tonight…” He gave a slight smile, “Now, where were we?” He asked excitingly.

“Heh. I was going to take you into town, and for you to meet my sister too! Cmon, let’s get going!” He replied before he enthusiastically grabbed Julius’s hand. 

“I’m coming. I’m coming,” Julius said, laughing. Happiness and joy were present within him, he didn’t feel any anxiety, and he was content. 

He was finally feeling hopeful.

* * *

Julius found himself running, trying to catch up to Arthur. Running as fast as he could, the two made it to House Friege. He stopped as he faced the door. Arthur placed his hand on the door and asked, “Are you sure you’re ready?” 

He was unsure what Arthur meant by saying that, but regardless he nodded. He was excited, shaking nervously, and just wished to stay with Arthur. He felt so safe and secure with him around. 

Arthur pushed the door open, and the two both went in. Julius almost gasped as he saw the castle’s immense size, and while it wasn’t _nearly_ as massive as Belhalla. He was easily amazed by it from the floor to the ceiling. Though he was not sure why he was so impressed, maybe it was because he never really got a good look at it and never took the time to notice all the details. 

They were both in the main hall; it was busy and full of servants clearing up laundry or doing other chores. _Wow, even after The Holy War, everyone is so busy,_ he thought. He felt a tug on his left arm; startled, he looked at Arthur. 

“Julius, are you coming?” Arthur asked before he noticed Julius was looking at him. “You were zoned out for a second there.”

“Oh! Yes, of course!” Julius replied, surprised and caught off guard. He then started walking with Arthur. 

“Tinni should be just in this room,” Arthur said, pointing at the door to the throne room. “I told her you were going to be coming over here today, so she might be ready to talk to you.”

Julius had multiple questions in his mind, such as, _Why do you want me to meet your sister so badly?_ _How do you think she will feel about me now?_ However, he put all of those questions in the back of his mind and simply said, “Let’s go, then” 

Arthur opened the door, and the two walked in. The moment they walked in, they were greeted with Tinni tightly hugging them both.

“Hey, my brother! So this is Julius! He looks so different why I hardly recognized him.” She greeted cheerfully, turning to Julius.

Julius was about to reply, but he noticed Arthur, who looked very agitated. He fidgeted his hands and looked kind of flustered. Worried, he asked, “Arthur, are you doing alright?”

“I...Julius-you and Tinni can both talk. I’ll be outside if you need anything.” He sounded very hesitant from his uncertainty in his voice. Julius was going to ask why but before he could do so, Arthur left. 

_‘Wow, he was in a rush.’_ Julius thought before he shifted his focus on Tinni and asked. “Is he always like this around people?”

“Yes, he tends to get shy around people but only recently, though.” She remarked. 

“I see. Arthur was so confident just a few hours ago. But maybe only around me?” That got him thinking, ‘ _Maybe that’s why he was so nervous to talk when we first met?’_ “Why would he be nervous around you, though?” 

Tinni shrugged, “He’s been delighted that you came back, he tells me a lot about you, and he’s delighted you’re with him.” 

Julius felt himself burning up. He was kind of happy to know how much Arthur enjoys his company and even more so than he thought. 

“Ah! I see you're all embarrassed. I think you might like him as someone closer than a friend.” Tinni giggled. 

“Wh-I-” _Naga, I’m such a flustered mess right now._ But then he realized, did he like Arthur as someone he loved? And wanted to stay with him forever? He always felt his heart rapidly pacing when he was around him, but he never noticed these feelings. 

“Don’t worry, hehe, I’ll keep it a secret,” Tinni replied. 

Julius was unsure what to say; his thoughts circled him as he tried to figure out a good excuse to leave. Then he remembered Arthur, “I should check on how Arthur is doing. I apologize for cutting this short.” He said before he dashed away. 

When he pushed open the door to the outside, he stopped to take a breath before dashing outside, feeling the crunching of soft snow on his boots as he ran in hopes of finding Arthur. 

_‘Where is Arthur?’_ He thought he knew Arthur went outside, but he needed to know _where_. His eyes darted around until he saw his flowy lilac hair blowing in the wind. “Arthur!” He called out. 

Arthur jumped up and looked over at him, “Oh! Julius!” He said, “H-how was my sister?” 

“Ah! She told me you enjoy my company more, and I just wanted to say that makes me so happy!” He chirped as he then saw Arthur get all flustered again.

“Y-yeah, I- I don’t know what to say I-” He stuttered before covering his face with his scarf, “Why don’t we go back? It’s starting to get cold.” 

“Yes, let’s,” Julius nodded. 

* * *

It was now late evening, and the two walked back to Belhalla. They walked through the soft snow, and the golden sun shined on them as they walked back. Both of them were silent, but it was an enjoyable silence, and they were both happy. Arthur and Julius held hands; Julius felt at peace; he had not felt so warm and fuzzy in so long he had forgotten how amazing it felt. 

  
  


Arthur then broke the silence, “Hey, Julius? Do you think you’re ready to talk about what happened this morning? I feel like you need to open up about it.”

When Arthur asked, he felt a pang of guilt. Right, he had forgotten about the breakdown he had hours ago. _Should I tell him all that has been on my mind these past weeks?_ He asked himself before he said, “Yes, I think so.” 

He took a long, slow breath; he knew Arthur needed to know the truth, how he has been feeling towards him. “I…I question myself. Why did I deserve to be resurrected?”

Arthur looked at him sincerely and said, “Because they were all willing to give you a second chance. As I and others have said, you were not yourself.” 

“Yes…but…I miss her, my Ishtar,” He explained, almost about to cry when he said the name Ishtar. Not having said it out loud for a long time, “Ishtar is gone…she was the only reason I was sane back when I was under possession.” Has he not admitted this to anyone? 

“Ah, Ishtar,” Arthur said. His tone sounded disappointed when he said that name, yet Julius wasn’t sure why he sounded like that. He was about to say something to break the silence, but Arthur continued. “I heard Ishtar was…a sweet person. Tinni and many others have told me so.”

Julius was not sure what to say. Yes, Ishtar was very much a sweet and caring person, but he also manipulated her. Maybe she realized that the person she fell in love with was no longer with her. 

Regardless he sighed, “Yes. Ishtar was such a sweet person. But she’s gone now and cannot be brought back. So I have to live through this grief, but I have seemed to move on from it.” 

Arthur smiled, “Yeah, I may not understand as much as anyone else, but I will do what I can to make you happy.”

Julius stopped and hugged him tightly, “Thank you…” He felt himself smile, ‘ _Wow, I think I really do love him.’_

“Oh yeah, by the way, I…can we meet up at the balcony tonight in Belhalla. I- need to tell you something that’s been on my mind these past months.” Arthur sounded hesitant, as oblivious Julius was, he seemed to understand why he was so reluctant, yet he wasn’t sure why exactly. 

“Of course! I’d be happy to!” He answered cheerfully. 

“Good, good…I’ll- See you later then.” Arthur said nervously before saying, “I’ll uh, just walk there later.” 

Confused, he asked, “Don’t you want me to take you to Belhalla too?”

“No, no, I’ll be alright, thank you, though,” Arthur replied awkwardly. He then buried his face with his scarf and walked away.

_‘Does he perhaps…? No, that’s not likely.’_

* * *

Night had fallen; he felt better than he had before. He was not sure why, but he was excited to see Arthur again. He needed to see Arthur again; he would do anything at that point. Sitting on the edge of the balcony, he filled his lungs with air. Nothing could give him anxiety now.

He wondered why he was so ecstatic. Perhaps it was because he opened about his feelings to Arthur, and he felt the weight lift from his shoulders. Or maybe it was because he understood so well and didn’t seem to mind the fact he had dark god blood. 

Whatever it was, he could not control his delight as he saw Arthur peek through the door. He did not need to force himself to smile, “Ah! Arthur, you're here!” He chirped. 

“I wanted to meet you here. Because there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you for some time now,” Arthur admitted. He looked anxious. 

“By all means, say it!” Julius replied eagerly. 

Arthur looked hesitant; he was shaking even more than beforehand, but he took a breath and spoke. “J-Julius. I-I want you to be by my side. I want to be the person you hold dear. I want to stay with you forever.” 

_‘He…What?’_

Before Julius had any time to respond, Arthur pressed his lips onto his own, making his cheeks burn up. Then he closed his eyes and kissed him back. He wanted to make him know that he loves him just as much. 

Arthur pulled away and smiled; he looked happy yet also so anxious. “I love you, Julius. I have for a while now.”

Those words _‘I love you.’_ were words he hadn’t heard in such a long time.

He did not know how to respond; he felt so ecstatic like nothing before. That’s when he recognized these feelings of love; he had not felt them since Ishtar. He adored Arthur and wished to be with him until the end of time.

“I…love you too,” He replied. It all made sense now; Arthur loved him and cared for him more than he ever could himself. He was happy; he did not care about his bloodline nor his past actions. He had Arthur, and that was all he needed. 

“I may not be like Ishtar but, I want to make you happy, and no, I am not doing this out of pity. I want to be with you, which may stop the Forseti bloodline, but that doesn’t mean anything to me. To me, the only thing that matters is you.”

“Arthur!- I- Yes!” He felt his face burn up even more, his heart racing, and he was happy, “Arthur, I do love you!” 

And he closed his eyes and kissed him once more. Then in an instant, the years went by, with Arthur by his side.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading!! Feel free to leave a comment/kudos if you enjoyed


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